Relay structure.



N0.'848,793. I PATENTED APR. 2,1907.

H. G. WEBSTER.

RELAY STRUCTURE; APPLIUA TION FILED FEB. 4,1907.

2 SHEBTS- SHEET 1.

110 848393; PATENTED APR. 2,1907.

H. G. WEBSTER.

- RELAY STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED PEB.4=,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

f UNITED I STATES HARRY G. WEBSTER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR KELLOGG, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.

TO MILO G.

RELAY STRUCTURE.

To all whom it may con eerie.- Be it known that I, HARRY G. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relay Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to structures wherein relay-magnets are employed to operate and control electrical circuits, the ob]ect of my invention being in a general way to secure an improved structure of the described character. I

A particular feature included in my inven' tion which I consider to be novel, as aside from the structure generally cons'idered, con

sists in the provision of a relay magnet with associated operating means, such that when the magnet is initially energized a peculiar condition of magnetization exists which persists for ashort period of time onlynamely,

1 until further operations set into train of action by the initial operation of the relay itself are completed'-when a further different condition of magnetization of the relaymagnet is produced, which persists until such time as the use of the structure is terminated. The beforementioned peculiar condition of magnetization produced in the magnet and operating, as indicated, to co'nsequentially cause its own termination by the substitution of a different magnetization may be called an unstable or inconstant condi tion of magnetization. Other features of my invention .will more particularly appea" and be pointed out in the following more specific description and in the Claims. v

In Figure 1 a circuit arrangement embodying a preferred specific embodiment of my invention as applied to a trunking structure for telephone purposes is shown. Fi 2 is a side view of a relay-magnet adapted or employment in connection with Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively top and end views of said magnet. ment, embodying my invention as applied :to a signaling structure employing motor-- driven switches is shown.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I show .at Aa telephone-substation comprising the usual transmitter, receiver, condenser, and callbell, a telephone-line L L connecti the same with the exchange wherethe usua line- Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 4, 1907. Serial No. 855.720.

In Fig. 5 a circuit arrange Patented April 2, 1907.

' relay 2 and cut-off relay 4 are provided, the former displaying the line-signal 3 when op' erated in, response to currents controlled at the substation, while the latter effaces the signal when operated in response to the insertion of answering-plug 1) into the. springjack 9'. The cord-circuit B includes the testlamp 12, displayed on the o eration of the relay 11, which on inserting t e plug is operated in series with the cut-off relay 4 by the battery '70. The test-relay 15 is connected from the active pole of battery 70 to a contact'29 of the plug p. It is sensitive to the idle or busy conditions of trunk-circuits C as the operator inserts the plug p into jacks 7" of successive trunk-circuits C to find an idle trunk and will be operated to eiface the testsignal 12 only when the jack of an idle trunkcircuit has been plugged into. with Contact 9 of answering-plug p via normal Contact 18 is a counter-relay 19, adapted for operation by current over the subscribers line on connection made therewith. Its operation closes contact 21 to energize the counter-magnet 22, whose armature-driven pawl advances in the well-known manner the ratchet of counter D to register for the operator an answered call. The contacts 30 and 31 of the plug p are normally on open circuit at armatures 18 and 17 of the test-relay 15,

of the answering-plug when relay 15 is operated.

The calling counter-relay 23 is connected from ground to the contact 28 of testing-plug p, said Contact being brought to register plug into the jack, whereby the relays 23 and 36 are serially connected with the battery 7 O and the two relays operated, provided the jack employed is one of an idle trunk. The relay 23 when operated as described by its armature 24 closes the circuit of countermagnet 26, whose armaturedriven turns the ratchet-of counter E to register for the operator the completion of. a connection to an idle trunk.

The relay 36 when initially operated as described may receive materially less current than it will receive'later when its locking-circuit is completed, because at this latter time the winding of relay 23 will be excluded from circuit, as will later appear. Under the initial energizing-current, then, the relay 36 Connected being connected through to contacts 9 and 8.

9 with contact 32 of jackj on Insertion of the pawl ti'on until relay 15 has operated to close ci1'' cuit through relay 43, which latter relay upon its operation completes a lower resist ance locking-circuit for the said relay 36 via contact 4042,, therebycausing a greater energization offthe said relay. to complete the attraction of its armature, whereby contact 41 42 is held open and relay 23 thus denergized. The circuit over which relay 43 is en- .ergized, due to the said operation of relay 15,

is as follows: from battery 71 through the lowerwinding of said rela'y 43, the lower con- 4 doctor of the trunk-circuit C, plug and jack contact34 30, relay and resistance 90 91, alternate contact 18,plug-and-jack contact 9 6, line-limbs L L via the calling-substation A, plug-and-jack contact 5 8, alternate contact 17 of relay 15, plug'and-jack contact 31 35, the upper conductor of trunk C, and through the upper winding of said relay 43 to ground. The operation of relay 43 completes the following circuit: from battery 70 via the winding of relay 36, contact 42 40, closed contact 1 44 to ground, whereby the said relay 36 is completely energized, as above described, and whereby relay 23 is denergized, as above stated. It is not necessary that the energization of rela 36, due to the flow of current over its initia energizing-path, including relay 23, be insufficient to prevent'the openin of contact 41 42. On the contrary, the said energization of relay 36 in series with relay 23 may be'suilicient to cause its armature to open contact 41 42, thereby momentarily opening its own circuit and causing the partial release of its armature to again close contact 41 42, which alternate partial release and reattract'ion will continue until relay 43 has been o erated, as above described, to close the loc ring-circuit for relay 36 via contact 44 of said relay 43 to round. In other words, the armature ofre ay 36 may vibrate, and thus alternately open and close contact 41 42 but said armature will hold contact 3839 closed. The current throu h relay 23 is similarly intermittently an? rupted. These interruptions are, however, insuflicient in duration to cause the release and reattraction of the armature of the counter-magnet 26. It may be, however, freqliliently desirable to prevent the vibration of t e armature of 'rela of a similarly-locate magnet, in which case,

remain continuously. attracted rapidly inter- 23 or of the armature relay, whereby, as is Well understood, after its armature has once been attracted by the initial flow of currentithrough rela 36 it will uring the immediately following succession of rapid interruptions. The construction of relay 36 is such as to permit its armature under the influence of a suificient energizing-current to vibrate within a restricted ran e in its intermediate osition, due to the aTternate opening and c osing of contact 41 42, while maintaining contact 38 39 closed, thereby permitting the energization of relay 15,thus placed in closed cireuitwith battery.70, as above de-- scribed. v

The adaptation of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1 is of particular utility in furnishing improved facilities for allowin the subscribers in a telephone system to o tain prom t connections for reporting troubles or comp aints to the proper receiving-stations or for placing their orders for long-distance or toll connections to the proper recording operators and for securing an automatic record of the number of such received and completed connections. The remaining features of the structure will be best understood from the following description of operation: Let it be assumed that subscriber A has removed his receiver and that the lever 1 has engaged its alternate contact, operating relay 2 to display signal 3, and that the oper;

ator, responsive to the signal, has inserted plug p into a jack 9', thus closing'contacts 10 7, 9 6, and 8 5. The closing of contact 10 7 operated relay 4 to open the circuit of signal-relay 2, Whose armature falls back, putting out lamp 3. The closing of contact 10 7 also operated relay 11, whose attracted armature completes circuit through testlamp 12. op'erated relay 1.9 over the following circuit: from battery through said relay 19, nor mal contact 18, said contact 9 6, line-limbs L and L, including the substation apparatus A, said contact 8-5, normal contact 17, and retardation-coil 101 to ground. The countermagnet 22 is thus operated once as and for the purpose already described,-and contact 20 is closed to allow at a later stage the operation ofcounter-magnet 26. The operator now throws over levers 13 and 14, cutting in her telephone, and learns" that thesubscriber calling desires a connection over-a trunk (1.-

The operator having before her multiple jacks y of a number of trunks C inserts the {plug of the cord she used in answering into a mu aiple jack of one of them. If this trunk be busy, a plug 1) of another cord similar to B will have been connected to another multiple jack y" of the trunk, and the test-relay The closing of contacts 9 6 and 8-5 1 its armature, although enough current will! 'continue flowing in the relay 15 of the previously-connected .cordto cause its alreadyattracted armatures to; continue in their attracted positions, the relays 15 of the cords and the resistance 38 of the trunk being properly pro ortioned to this end. As an illustration, t e voltage of battery 70 may be approximately thirty volts, the resistance of coils '38? approximately seven hundred and fifty ohms, and the resistance of relays 15 approximately one hundred ohms. As relay 15 of the testing-cord remains inert, the lamp 12 continues lit, and the operator observing this is advised that the tested trunk Cis busy.- She therefore withdraws lugp and inserts it into a multiple jack oi another trunk. Assuming this to be idle, current will flow from battery 70 through relay 36, contact 42 41, contact 32 28, relay-23 to ground, armature 37'then assumin its intermediate or vibrating posiefore described, and current then flows from battery 70 through relay 15, contact 29 33, contact 38 39 to ground through resistance 38*; There being no other relay 15 atthis time in shunt with relay 15 of the testing-cord, the relay of that cord is operated and attracts its armatures, of which 16 opens the circuit of test-lamp 12,.Whose going out notifies the operator that an idle trunk has been found. Armatures 17 and 18 engage their alternate contacts, causing a ll'ew .-nf current as follows: from battery 71, lower winding of relay 43, contact 34 30, relay and resistance 90 91, alternate contact 18, contact 96, hook-lever 1, contact 5 8, alternate con tact 17, contact 31 35, upper winding of relay 43 to ground. -'.lhis energizes relay 43, which attracts its armatures, causing the display of signal 47 at the distant end of the trunk,

while armature 44 engages its contact to complete a circuitfrom ground through contact 40 42, relay 36, to battery. it is on the establishment of thislocking-circuit that what 1 call the unstable ()Il1'l('()1'1Si&Ill condition of magnetization of the relay 36that existing while its armature is in its intermediate position or is vibrating (the term being used broadly to include both condiiions)- is termlnated by the armature being fully attracted and so held.

and magnet 26 are deenergized. The operator at the distant end of the trunK .will now respond to the display of the signal 47, thus i or complaint, as the case may be.

The full attraction of the armature opens contact 41 42, and relay 23 necting her telephone set 107 in circuit with the calling subscriber, and receives his order Since the circuit of relay 43 includes the lineof substation A when the subscriber there replaces his receiver the relay 43 becomes deenergized, and its armatures are retracted, the retraction of armature 44 opening the locking-circuit of relay, 36. The armature of relay 36 thusagain assumes itsintermediate position,

closing contact41 42 to again establish the In case ,the resulting energization of 36 is insufficient circuit of relay 36 through relay 23.

to again break contact 41 42 the armature will remain without vibration in its intermediate position and relay 23 will be again on- 'ergized As, however, the circuit of the counter-magnet 26 is at this time broken at contact 20 of relay 19, (now inert,) no operation of the counter E will result. Should, however, the energization of relay 36 through relay-23 be suiii'cient to again open contact 41 42, its armature will continue to vibrate as previously described. In either case the circuit of relay.15 is maintained closed at contact 38 39, whereby the operators disconnectlamp 27 will be illuminated over the following circuit: battery 70, said signal 27, contact 92 of relay 90, and alternate contact 16 of relay 15. lielay being included in a strand of the cord-'eircuit is preferably provided with a non-inductive shunt resistance 91, whereby little impedance will be presented to the (-onversational currents. The operator uirhdraws plugs p and p, and all apparatus is restored to normal.

The relay 36 (shown in a preferred mechanical form in Figs. 2, 3, and 4) may comprise the core 76, about which is placed the customary windingor windings. An angular pole-piege 75 is provided, extending along the top of the relay, the angular armature 37 being hinged or supported upon the end of the pole-piece in the customary manner. 1n

.the said Figs. 2, 3, and 4 the reference charactors correspond to those of Fig. 1, and the spring arrangement will be understood from inspection otthe mechanical drawings in connection with the before-given description of the relay, as shown in Fig. 1. it will be observed that the construction and arrangement of springs are such that contact 38 39 ing-ma net 53, the stoppmtgirelay 6g, ailso e on re ay control ing said magnet 53, 64,. andthe release-relay 65, controlling the release-magnet 80, which latter is ada ted I when operated to cause the restoration 0 the switch wipers or contacts 55, 57 59, and 61. These motor-driven'switch-contacts 55, 57, 59, and 61' are fastened to a common shaft 54, to which also the ratchet 78 is fastened,

so that successive current impulses to be sent by interrupter I through magnet 53 may by causingsuccessive thrusts of the pawl attached to the end of armature77 rotate the ratchet 78 step by step, carrying with it shaft 54 and its wipers or contacts 55, 57, 59, and 61. The ratchet 78 has a suitable spring attached to it, against whose tension it is rotated, the retaining and release pawl 79 em gaging the ratchet-teeth to hold the ratchet after each step. When release-magnet 80 is energized, pawl 79, fastened to its armature, is withdrawn from the ratchet, and the spring restores the ratchet, shaft, and con tacts to normal, stop 81 enga 'ng the stud u on ratchet 78 and arresting t e movement w en normal is reached. The said stud upon ratchet 78, also in its normal position, engages a stud carried by the off-normal spring 82 to open its contact; but on the first movement of said ratchet the studs are disengaged, thus allowing said spring 82 to close its contact and maintain it closed until the ratchet is again restored to normal. Wipers 55, 57, 59, and 61 are adapted to engage and make contact with, respectively, the circularly-arranged contact-points 56, 58, 60, and 62. Contact-points 56, 58, 60*, and 62 represent similarly-arranged contacts of another switch similar to the one, M, shown in full. N represents the signaling apparatus associatedwith one set of contacts 56 56 58 58, 60 60, and 62 62, it being understood that each of the similarly-designated sets of contactpoints may be connected to a similar signalreceiving grou of apparatus N, whereby any switch M (an conse uently any-calling-circuit 73 73, associated therewith) may select any signaling-circuit N, unless at that time said signaling-circuit be already in use or be already selected by some other switch M.

In o crating the structure of Fig. 5 the manua lycontrolled switch 51 is shifted to connect conductors 73 and 73, when current flows from battery 7 2, through starting-relay 52, relay 65, and re? :xtarue in paralle over 73 73, and upper armature of relay 64, to ground, oerating said relays 52 and '65, the attraetnd armature of 65 opening a contact in the circuit of release-magnet 80,

v stab while the attracted armature of 52 completes c rcuit from battery 7 2, via armatures of restantly-rotating interrupter I, to ground. The current impulses thus passing through .magnet 53 are eflectiveto cause thrusts of the pawl of armature 77, moving contacts 55, 57, 59, and 61 step by step over their respective associated multiple contacts. Stopplng-relay 63 is connected in circuit with testing-contact 55, which wipes over the private contacts 56, those associated with busy signaling-circuits N being 0 en at contacts 41, because the relays 36 -0 such busy signaling-circuits are then operated as hereafter explained. Thus relay 63 will remain inert while the wiping-contacts are passing over multiple contacts of busy signaling-cirtacts of an idle signaling-circuit (whose relay pleted from battery 72, through relay 63, contact 55 56, contact 41 42, right Winding of relay 36 to ground. The two relays 63 and 36 will then be-operated, and relay 36 in attracting armature 37 will producean unstable thatfdescribed in connection with Fig. 1. The armature of relay'63, which has now disengaged its contact, opening the circuit of magnet 53 and stopping'the' switch, may now be vibrating ;.but its motion in such case contact, which engagement would cause a stepping along of the switch. While the une condition of relay 36 persists, cut-off relay 64 is becoming operated by current flowing from battery 72 through closed contact 38 39, resistance 38, contact 58 57, re-

energized current will flow from battery 72, lower winding of relay 66, contact 60 59, lower attracted armature of 64, conductors tact 61 62, upper winding of relay 66 to ground. Relay 66 is thus operated, its lower armature closing a locking-circuit from battery 7 2, said lower attracted armature of relay 66, left winding of relay 36, contact 40 42, right win'din of said relay 36 to ground, fully 0 crating t e relay and terminating its unstable condition of ma etization. When this occurs, contact 41 42 is held continuously open, which denergizes relay-63, the retraction of whose armature would cause further operation of magnet 53 were it not that relay 52 is at this time denergized because of the attraction of the lower armature of relay 64. The upper attracted armature of relay 66 caused the display of the selected signallamp 67, which theattendant after properly noting or recordin it 'ma extinguis by the manually-operated switc 68. The resistance 38 and those of the relays 64 of the va rious switches are soproportior d that if a lays 52 and 63, operating-magnet 53, con.

cuits; but as soon as they reach multiple con- 36 will be unoperated) circuit will'be com-- conditionof ma netization in itself similar to lay 64 to ground, and as soon as that relay is will be insufficient to operatively engage its .73 73, upper attracted armature of 64, conwiper-contact 57 of a second switch M engages a multiple 58 of the contact 58 enough current will not flow'through'its relay 64,

now inshuntof relay 64 of the Fig. switch, to attract its armatures, although the relay 64 ofthe Fig. 5 switch will continue to hold its armatures attracted. For instance, with a battery of about thirty volts relay 64 may be of approximately one hundred ohms resistance and coil 38 may have approximately seven hundredand fifty ohms resistance. When now switch.51 isshifted back to normal, circuit'is opened through relay 65 and its armature is retracted'to cause a flow of currentfrom battery 72 through said armature, off-normal s ring 82,1'elease-magnet 80- to ground. Sai magnet is thus energized to withdraw retaimng-detent 79, and

the switch M is restored to normal, as pre viously described, magnet 80 being deenergized, when the restoration is completed by the before-described shifting to normal of spring '82, all apparatus being thus restored.

Various modifications of my invention may-be made without departing from its scope as, for instance, the conductors leadporarily inan intermediate position until the second energi zin -path is completed, a' normally open switc -contact of said relay held closed by said armature in both its intermediate andfully-attracted positions, a second relay responsive to the closing of said contact adapted to subsequently complete the second energizing-path to fully attract said armature, and a normally closed switchcontact of said relay held continuously open by said armature in its fully-attracted position only.

- 2. An electrical relay structure including a f relay, an armature therefor, a normally open switch-contact for said relay, a normally closed switch-contactadapted to be opened on attraction of said armature, an electrical circuit including said last-mentioned contact for initially energizing said relay to cause said armature to vibrate said last-mentioned contact while said first contact is maintained closed, and means controlled'by said normally open contact 'when closed adapted to subsequently hold said armature continuously attracted. v

3. An electrical relay structure'including a relay, a normally open switch-contact controlled by said relay, a second normally open switch-contact controlled by said' relay, a normally closedswitch-contact controlled by said relay, means including said last-mentioned contact for initially causing a continuing peculiar operation of said relay holding said first normally open contact closed while preventing a continuous holding of said normally closed contact open, and means operated by the closing of said first contact adapted to eventually establish a locking-current flow for said relay including said second nor mally open switch-contact, the establishing of said locking-flow eiiecting a different energizing of said relay to'cause it to hold sa1d normally closed contact open.

4. An electrical relay structure including a relay having two windings, an armature therefor, means including an external resistance anda source of current for causing a preliminary energization of one'winding of said relay, a switch-contact of said relay adapted to limit said preliminary energlzation, and means automatically set in train of action by said preliminary energization to subsequently establish a path for current fully energizing said relay, said path including both windings of said relay and excluding said external resistance.

5. An electrical relay structure including a relay having two windings, an armature therefor, means including an external resistance andasource of current for causing a preliminary energization of one winding of said relay, a; switch-contact of, said relay adapted to limit said preliminary energizetion, and means automatically set in train of action by said preliminary energization to s bsequently establish a path for current to energize'said relay to hold its armature frilly attracted.

6. In an electrical relay structure, the combination'of a relay, an armature for said relay having an initial and subsequent motion, an electromagnet, means controlled by the initial motion to establish the circuit of said electromagnet, and means controlled by the energization of said electromagnet to cause the subsequent motion of said armature.

7. In an electrical relay structure, the combination of a relay, an armature for said re lay having an initial and subsequent motion, an energizing-circuit for said relay to produce said initial motion, an electromagnet, meanscontrolled by said initial motion to energize s'aid electromagnet, means controlled by the said subsequent motion to interrupt said energizingcircuit, and means responsive to the energization of the electromagnet to cause the final motion of said armature.

8. In an electrical relay structure, the combination of'a relay, anarmature for said relay having an initial and subsequent motion, an energizing-circuit for said relay to produce said initial motion, an electromagnet, means 6 4 Mew-es controlled by the initial motion to energize In witnesswvhereof I hereunto subscribe said electrornagnet, means controlled by the my name tbis'Zd day of February, 1907. subsequent motion to interrupt said energizing-circuit, and means controlled by said HARR1 LBbTER' 5 electromagnet to complete a locln'ng-circuit Witnesses:

and cause the said subsequent motion of said L. D. KELLOGG,

- armature.

F. W. DUNBAR. 

